When Did OLTL (or all of ABC?) Start Using Horrible Cut-Away Shots?

[2shane8]

Maybe this has been mentioned before, but when OLTL cuts to a commercial, it's always so abrupt and awkward looking. I know that this has been going on for at least a year or so, but I could swear that long ago, soaps would sort of fade out before a commercial. Do these horrible edits take place on the other shows as well, and was it always like this? I hope I'm not going insane! I wonder if it's somehow cheaper, or if it's supposed to be hip/trendy/edgy.

[KLN]

I've noticed this more and more with virtually every soap. Some shows do it much more than others, and the ones that do it alot can get annoying. It tends to lose its affect. Done every now and again, though, I think it's a pretty cool affect.

It's probably the soaps way of getting rid of the infamous "15 second dramatic stare as we fade to commercial" thing.

[All My Shadows]

I've only seen it on OLTL. I've never, ever seen it done on AMC or ATWT at all.

[KLN]

Hmm... maybe I'm hallucinating then. I know I've seen it done on Days, Y&R, Passions and I'm pretty sure GH. And I think GL.

[psychofan]

It's done occasionally on other soaps, but for the most part it's OLTL. It's starting to get pretty ridiulous. I remember the first time I noticed it used. I really really enjoyed it (partly because it was for Margaret).

Margaret: Twinkle, twinkle, little Starr...history is all you are.

Margaret leans down to slit Starr's throat. As the knife reaches her neck, screen cuts to black.

It can be a good effect at times, but sometimes, there's just no need for it.

[Scotty]

I must be too...because I don't really recall seeing this on OLTL.

I'm not sure why they're doing it, but it sounds bad. If they're going for dramatic effect, it sounds like it's not working.

[alwaysAMC]

I've noticed this on OLTL a lot lately - no other soap.

You're not just talking about an occasional abrupt cut to commercial - you're talking about that swooshing visual that OLTL has been doing a lot lately...right? No other soap does that - well the ones I watch (AMC, GH, ATWT, DAYS).

[KLN]

Ohhh, I must've misunderstood what he meant, then. I thought he was talking about the abrupt to commercial thing. Sorry!

[alwaysAMC]

haha - it's ok....yeah check out OLTL sometime - it seems like every commercial they have this 'swoosh' sound (almost like air blowing by) to enhance the quick, abrupt cut to commercial - it's weird, but it kinda fits OLTL's theme/aura IMO.

[Sylph]

I’m not sure those are cutaway shots.

[juppiter]

I like the "15 second dramatic stare!" I find that it's usually the longest on B&B, those people just stare at each other for half the episode!

Anyway, the "cut-to-black" was popularized by Buffy IIRC, since they used it in every episode for every commercial break.

[R Sinclair]

A lot of different shows use it in both primetime and daytime. I remember on Lifetime's Any Day Now, which was a drama starring Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint, they used the cut to black effect at the end of every act. And it was just a drama about a white woman and a black woman being friends in Alabama as children and as adults. Nothing spectacularly exciting and action packed, but they used it at the end of every act.

It's just a production value. Maybe Frank Valentini is going for a certain "look." I'm still wondering why the police station is blue. That's more distracting to me than the act-outs. Also, people are right about it shaving off seconds. Instead of having tag shots a.k.a. "the 15 second stare into space," they just cut out leaving more time for commercials -- which is what this is really all about. So maybe it isn't a "look" value, but a time constraint value.